LCPD, DASO, NMSP take advantage of federal program giving military excess at cost to ship or pick up item

Las Cruces Police Department SWAT commander Sgt. Ralph Monget holds a MARCbot, a robotic unit obtained from the Defense Logistics Agency disposition services. Through the program, law enforcement agencies can request excess U.S. military gear for the cost of shipping it, or driving to pick it up. (Carlos Javier Sanchez — Sun-News)

LAS CRUCES &GT;&GT; Designed to find improvised explosive devises for American soldiers in Iraq, a MARCbot sits in storage, on its four mini all-terrain tires, at the Las Cruces Police Department.

Once LCPD gets the specialized batteries to power the MARCbot (multi-function agile remote control robot) the department's SWAT team will use it to help keep officers out of harm's way. The MARCbot's camera can extend about 2 feet, and Sgt. Ralph Monget anticipates LCPD SWAT officers will be able to see barricaded people in vehicles and homes, so they can know if that person is armed.

The MARCbot is the latest piece of equipment acquired by LCPD, at very little cost, through the military's Defense Logistics Agency. The program transfers excess military gear to about 8,000 participating law enforcement agencies around the nation, according to the DLA website, including the three largest in Doña Ana County.

Monget, a veteran officer and the department's SWAT commander, enrolled LCPD in the program shortly after it began in 1997, he said. Since then, Monget estimates he has acquired $200,000 worth of equipment — everything from footwear to rifles to passenger vans — all for the cost of shipping it, or driving to pick it up.

Like LCPD, the Doña Ana Sheriff's Office and New Mexico State Police, have benefited, officials said.

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Some of the equipment has obvious military roots, such as the two Humvees received by the Las Cruces-based New Mexico State Police office in 2011.

One is armored and used for SWAT situations, Lt. James Frietze said. The other Humvee is unarmored and used for search and rescue efforts, or in other situations calling for all-terrain driving.

"People go four-wheeling and we get them unstuck," he said.

The value of those Humvees: $78,104, according to documents obtained by the Sun-News through a public records request.

Throughout the state, since 2007, New Mexico State Police has received 75 shipments, containing nearly $1.7 million worth of excess military equipment, the documents show.

That includes a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle (MRAP), valued at $658,000. That is used by the state police's tactical team, though it's not clear from the data where it is housed.

But some of the equipment doesn't necessarily look like it came from the battlefield.

The New Mexico State Police also has acquired tents, sleeping bags, fitness equipment and televisions, according to a list from the state's Department of Public Safety.

The most recent item DASO received: a pallet of hand sanitizer from Iraq, said spokeswoman Kelly Jameson.

DASO has also received plenty of supplies typically used by law enforcement, such as handguns, rifles and magazines.

"The program saves the department from using taxpayer dollars (they already paid for this stuff once) and saves us money, too — all we have to pay for is shipping," Jameson wrote in an email to the Sun-News.

Since its inception, the program has transferred about $4.3 billion worth of supplies to law enforcement agencies around the country, according to the DLA website. About $450 million of that was moved in 2013 alone.

While there is plenty of equipment available, nearly free of cost, local officials say plenty of planning goes into landing these military handouts.

Said Frietze: "It's really not cost effective to be greedy."

Before requesting the Humvees, Frietze said, officials look at department need, maintenance and training costs. Certain equipment is so specialized that it can be difficult to repair.

It is fairly simple to look at items available across the country and submit requests, Monget said, especially since the screening process is online.

Agencies must show justification for the combat tools they request, Jameson said.

And once they get it, there are strict rules about how the agencies can dispose of it. Officials said the excess military gear can't be sold or auctioned off. The military has to keep track of the items, so local agencies have to return it or transfer it to other departments in need, Monget said.

Monget said that in recent years he transferred three vans to other departments.

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